Follower plates for use in evacuating drums of hot melt adhesive and the like have been utilized for many years. Such devices typically incorporate a number of downwardly facing concentric ribs around a central aperture for evacuating the melted adhesive under the plate into a pump and thence to the point of application.
While such follower plates have been generally satisfactory, it is always desirable to have a more efficient use of the energy applied as well as to evacuate as much adhesive as possible out of the drum.